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to her sisters. "1 really, really liked him."
"Then we'll like him, too," Kate reassured her. "And we'll find a way to help him." She
opened the refrigerator and peered in, pulling at drawers. "Did you get fresh veggies?"
"Of course, and plenty of fruit. By the way, congratulations on your latest release. I read
it cover to cover and it was wonderful. As always, Katie, your stories are fantastic," Sarah
praised sincerely. "And thanks, Kate."
Abbey hugged Kate. "My favorite memories are when we were little and we used to lie on
the balcony looking up at the stars, with you telling us your stories. You deserve all those
bestseller lists."
Kate kissed her sister. "And you aren't prejudiced at all."
"Even if we were," Hannah said, "you're still the best storyteller ever born and deserve
every award and list you get on."
Kate blushed, turning nearly as red as the highlights in her chestnut hair. She looked
pleased. "How did the spotlight get turned on me? Sarah's the one who spent the night
with a perfect stranger."
"I had to spend the night with him," Sarah insisted. There's no security at his house.
And I've asked Jonas Harrington to drop by this morning to meet Damon."
All three women groaned in unison. "How could you invite that Neanderthal to our
home, Sarah?" Hannah demanded.
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"He's the local sheriff," Sarah pointed out. "Come on, all that was a long time ago we
were kids."
"He was a total jerk to me and he still is," Hannah said.
42 CHRISTINE FEEHAN
The mug, filled with coffee, on the table in front of her began to steam. Hannah looked
down and saw the liquid was beginning to boil. Hastily she blew on the surface.
There was a small silence. "Fine!" Hannah exploded. "I'll admit he still makes me mad if
I just think about him. And if he calls me Baby Doll or Barbie Doll, I'm turning him into a
big fat toad. He already is one, he may as well look like it."
"You can't turn the sheriff into a toad, Hannah, It's against the rules," Abbey reminded
her. "Give him a doughnut gut or a nervous twitch."
"That's not good enough," Kate chimed in. "You need imagination to pay that man back.
Something much more subtle like every time he goes to lie to a woman to get her in bed,
he blurts out the truth or tells them what a hound dog he is."
"I'll do worse than that," Hannah threatened, "I'll make it so he's lousy in bed! Mister
Macho Man, the bad boy who couldn't do anything but make fun of me in school. He
thinks he's such a lady's man."
"Hannah." Sarah heard the pain in her sister's voice and spoke gently. "You were then,
and still are now, so incredibly beautiful and brainy. No one could ever conceive of you
being so painfully shy. You hid it well. No one knew you threw up before school every day
or that we had to work combined spells to keep you functioning in public situations. They
wouldn't know you still have problems. You've faced those fears by doing the things that
terrify you and you're always successful. Outsiders see your beauty and brains and success.
They don't see what you're hiding in private."
"Someone's coming up the path," Kate said without looking away from Hannah. She held
out her hand to her sister. "We're all so proud of you, Hannah. Who cares what Jonas
Harrington thinks?"
"It's not Harrington, although he's close by somewhere," Abbey said. "I think it's Sarah's
gate crasher. You know, the one she spent the night with. I still can't get over that, and Elle
says she wants every intimate detail the minute you get a chance."
"There are no intimate details," Sarah objected, exasperated. "I'm going to install a
security system for him. Kate,
Magic in the Wind 43
don't let them read your books anymore, you're giving them wild imaginations."
"It wasn't our imaginations that he was kissing you," Hannah pointed out gleefully. "We
saw you!"
"And you were kissing him back," Abbey added.
"Well, that part wasn't altogether my fault!" Sarah defended. "He's a great kisser. What
could I do but kiss the man back?"
The sisters looked at one another solemnly and burst out laughing simultaneously. The
dog curled up in the corner lifted his head and whined softly to get their attention.
"He's here, Sarah, and the gate must have opened for him a second time," Kate said,
intrigued. "I really have to take a long look at the Drake history book. I want to see exactly
what that prophecy says. How strange that something written hundreds of years ago
applies to us even in this modern day and age."
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"Kate, sweetie," Abbey said, "every age thinks it's progressive and modern but in reality
we're going to be considered backward someday."
"He's on the verandah," Kate announced and hurried to the front door.
Her sisters trailed after her. Sarah's heart began to race. Damon was not the land of man
she had ever considered she'd be attracted to, yet she couldn't stop thinking about him.
She thought a lot about his smile, the way two small dents appeared near the corners of his
mouth. Intriguing, tempting little dents. He had the kind of smile that invited long
drugging kisses, hot, melting together....
"Sarah!" Hannah hissed her name. "The temperature just went up a hundred degrees in
here. You know you can't think like that around us. Sheesh! One day with this man and
your entire moral code has collapsed."
Sarah considered arguing, but she didn't have much of a defense. If Damon hadn't been
such a gentleman and stopped at just kissing, she might have made love to him. All right,
she would have made love to him. She should have made love to him. She lay awake all
night, hot and bothered and edgy with need. Darn the man for having chivalrous manners
anyway. She smiled and touched her mouth with a feeling of awe.
44 CHRISTINE FEEHAN
He had kissed her most of the night. Delicious, wonderful, sinfully rich kisses ...
"Sarah!" All three of her sisters reprimanded her at once.
Sarah grinned at them unrepentantly. "I can't help it, he just affects me that way.
"Well, try not to throw yourself at him," Abbey urged. "It's so unbecoming in a Drake.
Dignity at all times when it comes to men."
Hannah was looking out the window. She wrinkled her nose. "Kate, when you open the
door for Damon, do let the dogs out for their morning romp. They've been cooped up all
night, the poor things."
Kate nodded and obediently waved the dogs through as she greeted Damon. "How nice
to see you, Mr. Wilder. Sarah has told us so much about you."
The dogs rushed past Damon. He leaned heavily on his cane, watching the large animals
charge the sheriff, who was making his way up the path. Just as the man reached the gate,
it swung closed with a loud bang. The dogs hit it hard, growling, baring their teeth, and
digging frantically in an effort to get at their prey.
"This isn't funny, Hannah!" Jonas Harrington yelled. "I was invited by your sister and I
showed up as a favor. Stop being so childish and call off your hounds."
Hannah smiled sweetly at Damon and held out her hand. "Pay no attention to the toad,
Mr. Wilder, he comes around every now and then playing with his little gun, thinking he's
going to impress the natives." She yawned, covering her mouth delicately. "It's so boring
and childish but we have to humor him."
Sarah whistled sharply and the dogs instantly ceased growling, backing away from the
fence to return to the house. When the animals were safely by her side, the gate swung
open invitingly and the sheriff stalked through, his face a grim mask, his slashing gaze
fixed on Hannah.
"What happens if you don't humor him?" Damon asked.
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